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The Ghanaian Head of State, General Ignatius Acheampong, reviewed contingents of the armed forces and police in a parade of Friday (13 January) to mark the sixth anniversary coup which ousted the former Prime Minister, Dr Kofia Busia.

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The Ghanaian Head of State, General Ignatius Acheampong, reviewed contingents of the armed forces and police in a parade of Friday (13 January) to mark the sixth anniversary coup which ousted the former Prime Minister, Dr Kofia Busia.

SYNOPSIS: General Acheampong, head of the seven man Supreme Military council, reviewed the parade from an open Land-Rover -- accompanied by the Chief of Defence Staff and the Police Inspector General. Government officials, members of the National Redemption Council, and thousands of Ghanaians watched the parade as navy ships fired a 21 gun salute and planes from the country's air force flew past over Accra's Independence Square.

In an address to the parade, general Acheampong repeated the government's pledge for a return to constitutional rule by July 1979 -- with a non-political form of government. Earlier, in a nation-wide radio speech, he said that to avoid what he termed "the scourge of party politics". Ghanaians will be given the chance of trying a new government system. Individual Ghanaians will stand for election on personal merit.

A referendum is to be held in just over two months time to approve these proposals. In the parade address, General Acheampong said the only path to progress would be in an atmosphere of political stability. He urged Ghanaian to close ranks against opponents of the planned return to constitutional rule. And he told troops and police to be in a "state of readiness" in case anybody tried to stop people from taking part in the referendum.